Explanation of Sukabumi Boy's Condition Before Death in Suspected Stepmother Abuse Case

The death of a teenager identified by the initials NS (13) in Sukabumi, West Java, remains under police investigation. Officers have disclosed the victim’s condition prior to his eventual death in hospital.

NS, a student at an Islamic boarding school, had returned home in early February for the holiday period. The victim had experienced fever, coughing and nausea, and was taken to a community health centre.

The initial medical examination indicated the victim’s health was improving. However, on Wednesday (18 February), NS’s condition deteriorated again, and his father discovered him covered in abrasion wounds. The victim’s biological father, AS, had left for work in Sukabumi City, leaving the victim under the supervision of his stepmother, TR.

“On the same day, the victim was taken by his stepmother to a traditional massage therapist with the initials S. However, suspicions arose when the father returned home in the early hours of Thursday and found numerous abrasion wounds across his child’s body,” said Sukabumi Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief AKP Hartono, as reported on Sunday (22 February 2026).

The victim was then taken to Jampang Kulon Regional Hospital on Thursday (19 February) morning. At the hospital, the victim reportedly stated that he had been forced to drink hot water by his stepmother. NS was subsequently pronounced dead that afternoon at approximately 4.00 pm local time.

AKP Hartono detailed the medical findings from the external examination, which revealed wounds spread across the entire body. Police reported abrasion wounds on the face, neck and all four limbs suspected to be second-degree (2A) burns, as well as bruising on the lips identified as signs of blunt force trauma.

These findings, however, contrasted with the autopsy results, which revealed evidence of chronic lung disease and congestion in the internal organs. Police are continuing to investigate the cause of NS’s death.